We recently connected with Joey Karei and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Joey, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

To educate the public and future generations on the truth of the Tainos while also showing through my research that during pre-colonial times the influence of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas was predominantly a Southern to Northern flow verses the common belief of a Nothern to Southern flow steming from the Bering Straight theory while also following the ways of my ancestors through my Humane Wildlife Removal business Naturalist Trapping and Prevention LLC.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I was raised in Ocoee, FL where the founders of the city was tied to the kkk. Being called the “N” word and threatened that the kkk was coming to “clean out” our family, The klan marched every founder’s day while every street sign in my neighborhood was spray painted with kkk, I even drank out of a “colored” water fountain in K Mart while in elementary school at the time. Meanwhile at home frequently visiting my grandparents I would hear how my grandmother’s grandmother was full blooded Taino which led me on a search to find more information and other Tainos with no luck until being a driver and tour guide for the Red Sightseeing Trains in St Augustine, FL finally finding information dropped off by the United Confederation of Taino People in a local Native American shop that was there at the time.
I have been actively been in the Taíno movement now going on 20 years.
Raised in Florida and knowing how close Cuba and the Bahamas was to Florida I knew for sure that my Ancestors had made it to Florida but the popular belief was not only My Ancestors did not make it to Florida but it wasn’t possible for them either. Needless to say I didn’t buy this and that started my curiosity if this common belief was true.
I was fortunate enough to be invited to be involved with the Ais Village Trail project headed by Archeologist Alan Brech who to my delighted surprise knew exactly where I should I start looking!
It’s been 7 years now working on my research and I have found solid evidence that my Ancestors not only made it to pre-colonial Florida but that it was easy enough to accomplish creating a Circum-Caribbean trade route.
As a Taino descendant and being close to Mother Earth I wanted to do as much as I could to help protect Mother Earth and all her wildlife by starting my company Naturalist Trapping protecting the community while also protecting wildlife.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The joy of knowing my Ancestors will not go forgotten and showing a indigenous perceptive through my research and business.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The lesson of not allowing the awful history of my Ancestors done to them on the behalf of Christianity make me bitter towards those who are following the faith of Christianity and forgiving those who favor Columbus and the colonizing ways that is Still practiced today by our own government.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid031yEJaXzXkNcwCfUgxBvBmKcCn5jvWao6UzN21zL3DPkyg9wzSqP7pnQs3fPcga3ml&id=100000482198827&mibextid=Nif5oz
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@TheFloridaTaino
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/naturalist-trapping-and-prevention-pt-orange